Harley L. Mustoe, 1995-2006

Within the last week or so my dog Harley had gotten sick, and today we had him put to sleep. Harley was a very healthy, happy dog; 50lb black lab-chow mix. One day about a week and a half ago he was pretty lethargic, and the vet found cancer on his splein and blood collecting in a bag around his heart. He was not in pain, but they didn't give him long to live. So there's all the sad details, now on to better stuff, a small obituary if you will.

We got Harley from the Humaine Society in mid-1995 when he was six months old. This was on a Saturday, and on Sunday we discovered he was actually pretty sick and needed a couple operations right away. So this $60 mut turned out to be quite an expensive one; my Dad still claims he saved his life and was thus, the favorite.

Harley's favorite activities included playing with "the rope", which he could go find when commanded, barking at various animals outside, doing this wierd nibbling thing to the sheets when he'd be on the bed, and of course licking himself at the most innappropriate times. Harley would always pick up his food from his bowl and carry it a couple feet before he ate it. He knew how to sit and shake, which he would try to do in exchange for food from the dinner table. Harley had various lengths of hair, he shed even more than me. He looked ridiculous after we'd get him back from the groomers, but he didn't care. Early on in his life he was really good at running out the front door if you even left it cracked for just a second. One time like, 9 years ago he got out and ran all the way to downtown with me chasing after him, crying, with leash in hand. Once he finally stopped, just short of a main road in Cape Girardeau he was so pooped I had to carry him home. At the time I was pissed/relieved he didn't get hit by a car, but now it's a pretty fond memory.

Another one of my favorite Harley stories is when he caught and killed a possum, or so I thought until I tried to get rid of the thing while he was still going nuts in the backyard. There was this one time where Harley was sleeping at the foot of my bed....I adjusted my leg and then felt Harley on top of it....once I realized what was happening I promptly punched him and kicked him out of bed. Other than that, Harley was the best dog you could ask for. Towards the end of his 11 years he wasn't the most obiedient, but it didn't matter because he never really mis-behaved. Harley will always be the dog that all other dogs I come across are compared too.

It's funny how much we love our pets. My whole family loved Harley, and i'm pretty sure he loved us too, he wasn't just in it for the doggy treats. He even had a stocking hung next to all of ours. Even though he was "just a dog" I still am shocked by mortality. I'm very sad, but also very happy to have had such a great dog for 11 years, half of my life. I'm very blessed to have my beloved dog die be pretty high up on my list of "worst things to ever have happened to me". So good bye Harley.

We'll miss ya buddy.